Happiness
by tollulu
Summary: Series of Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky One-shots taking place during various points during the game. I plan on rewriting the few I have and adding more soon.
1. The dream

**Yeah, so I've decided to rewrite these one-shots, making them longer and hopefully better, and also to write new ones too. I hope you enjoy this new (hopefully improved) one shot.**

Ever since Temporal tower had been saved from collapse, things at the Wigglytuff guild hadn't quite been the same. They were missing one of their members, one everyone had grown to love, and another who seemed as though he may as well be gone too.

Ever since she had quite literally ceased to exist, Lydia was mourned by all those at the guild, but by none more so than Pikachu. He had withdrawn himself almost entirely from any sort of social interaction, saying barely anything to anyone, no matter how hard anyone tried. The most anyone ever saw him speak was when he told the story about what had happened in the hidden land, Lydia's last wish.

That didn't stop them from trying however. Today, Sunflora was attempting to get him to join in an expedition with her.

"Hey Pikachu, why don't we go on exploration together!" Sunflora asked him with a cheerful voice, hopeful that this time the answer would be a yes. "I heard a rumor about this-"

"No thanks Sunflora." He interrupted her, shaking his head. "But why not, you always go alone." She questioned, no longer wearing her cheerful expression.

"I just prefer to go alone." He replied, a distant, melancholy expression on his face as he walked away. From the look in his eyes, Sunflora could tell that he was far away, and if she had to guess, she would say he was somewhere happier, when his beloved partner was still by his side.

The rest of the day passed as normal, or as normal as things there could be now, and soon night fell over treasure town. Pikachu entered his room, which now seemed lonely due to the fact that he occupied it alone, and the memories it held that were once happy were now painful to recall.

He lay down in his bed and closed his eyes, memories of her still filling his head as he drifted off to sleep, as it was like nearly every night.

When he opened his eyes, he was instantly aware that he was no longer in the guild, but instead he was in a place that he didn't recognize, yet seemed oddly familiar to him in some strange way, though he couldn't quite place it. His eyes searched this foreign landscape, taking in the features of the bright, green meadow he seemed to be in. As he was doing so, he suddenly became aware that he was not alone in what had seemed like an empty field.

Not too far from him stood a human girl. Pikachu wondered how it was possible for him to not have noticed her right away. He approached her hesitantly, having never seen a human before. As he went towards her, Pikachu studied her features curiously. She wasn't much bigger than a pokémon like a gardevoir or a medicham, he observed. Her hair was long and blond, but the thing that had really captured his attention was her eyes. The soft brown of her irises seemed so familiar, and almost comfortingly so for reasons he couldn't describe.

"Pikachu." The young girl said, smiling softly at him, and suddenly it hit him like giant wave. "It….it's you, but….but _how?_" He asked, staring at her in disbelief. Tears formed in the corners of his eyes. "Are you really here, where are we, does this mean-!"

Lydia held up her hand to stop him as he started firing questions at her. "You're dreaming, Pikachu." She explained gently. "This was the only way I could see you again. But this place, this," she said, gesturing all around her, "is the future I gave myself up for. And even though it meant leaving you, and everyone else, behind, I'm glad for this, all of it. This was why I came in the first place." Her smile turned sad. "But even so, I had to see you one last time. There's something I needed to ask of you before…before I leave again."

"What is it?" Pikachu asked, almost eagerly. "Pikachu, I want you to be happy again." She stated simply. "But I can't. I can't be happy if you're gone. Without you..." He stopped short, tears rolling down his cheeks.

"Please try, for me. So many people have reached out to you, and all you do is push them away. Please, just promise me that you'll try." Pikachu swallowed the growing lump in his throat. "I promise." He replied, wincing as his voice broke. "I promise." He said again, steadying his voice.

She smiled at him again, her brown eyes smiling too, and he suddenly knew, that despite her fate, she was happy, so long as he continued to live. As long as he lived for the both of them. "Thank you Pikachu. For everything." She spoke again, her voice seeming distant now. The world around them seemed to fade.

"Goodbye, Pikachu." He heard faintly, and them he realized that it wasn't just the dream world that was fading, but his friend as well. "Wait! Don't go, please! You can't leave me again!" He screamed, but to no avail. She was gone once again.

He opened his eyes and shot up from his bed, nearly hitting Loudred, who had been standing over him with a concerned expression, trying in vain to wake him. "I thought you would NEVER wake up!" Loudred said, acting as if he hadn't heard Pikachu screaming in his sleep, or that he didn't see the tear stains on his face.

"Sorry Loudred." He said, distractedly. He was still trying to wrap his head around the dream he'd had. Had it been real? Did it even matter? He realized that it didn't. She wouldn't want him to be sad and alone for the rest of his life, that much he _was _sure of.

A short time later, Pikachu approached Sunflora, who was scanning the board for a job. "Hey, Sunflora?" He asked her hesitantly.

"What is it Pikachu?" He paused for a moment before answering her. "I was wondering if…well if that offer from before to go on an expedition with you was still good."

A look of shock formed on Sunflora's face, along with everyone else within earshot. Had they all heard right? "You really want to? Oh my gosh, of course!" She exclaimed happily.

And for the first time since she'd left, a genuine smile formed on Pikachu's face, because he was going to be happy, for her.


	2. The Return

Pikachu exited the guild on a cool, clear evening, setting off towards the beach. As he did, he passed Bidoof, who was traveling opposite him, towards the entrance of the guild.

"Huh?" He heard Bidoof say. "Howdy Pikachu, going out?" He asked politely. Pikachu smiled back at him. "Yep. I'm going out for a walk."

"Sounds nice, yup yup! It'll be dinnertime soon though, you don't want to be late for that!" Bidoof said. "Yeah, I hear you. I'll be back." Pikachu replied. He walked leisurely down toward to the beach, where, much to his pleasure he saw the beautiful setting sun, accompanied by a group of krabby blowing their bubbles across the beach.

"I haven't seen this in a long time." He thought aloud to himself. "It's as beautiful as I remember. I've just been too busy to come by and see it. But I've missed this….fantastic sight. I wonder when it was when I last saw this….The last time was…" He paused, wracking his brain in an attempt to remember the last time he's been able to watch.

Then he suddenly remembered. "Oh…The last time I saw this…It was when…when I met Lydia…" Pikachu though back to that day, the day when he first saw the young eevee lying there in the sand. "The view was like this at that time too." He recalled, walking over to where he had first spied her on the beach.

"The krabby blowing all those bubbles along the beach…I noticed someone…right here…Lydia was…unconscious…That was when…Lydia and I…That was when our adventure began." He said wistfully.

Pikachu remembered all the adventures that he had had with her very clearly, as if they had all just happened. When he had first asked her to form an exploration team, the time they had saved Azurill, when he had put his all his trust in her while exploring waterfall cave, confiding in her about his precious relic fragment and his dream to discover it's meaning, gathering the courage to fight Groudon because of her, the beautiful sight of fogbound lake, their time in the future, and so many others memories, all so clear to him. They had all happened in such a short amount of time, yet it felt like so much more to him.

"I remember it all so fondly." He said, his voice turning to show the emotions that were triggered by the memories. "All those memories of my time with Lydia…Memories…of Lydia…But now….she's gone." He spoke as tears began to form in his eyes. "And Lydia…isn't here anymore…" The sadness overwhelmed him and he collapsed in the sand, crying uncontrollably, mourning her, the pain suddenly still as harsh as the day she'd vanished from the world.

Just as he collapsed in the sand, Bidoof walked down onto the beach. As soon as he saw Pikachu collapsed there in the sand, he ran to him worriedly. "You've been gone so long, I took to worrying about you…Wh-what's the matter?" He asked, the sadness and concern clear in his voice.

"B-Bidoof! Bidoof! Waaah!" Pikachu cried, turning to his friend, unable to contain his grief. He collapsed again, this time against the unsuspecting Bidoof. "Wa-wah? What all is the matter?" Bidoof asked, panicked and confused as Pikachu continued to cry all the pent up tears from so many moths of loneliness.

Meanwhile, Dialga, at the distant Temporal tower, had felt, from so far away, Pikachu's sorrow in losing his beloved friend, just as intense as the moment she'd gone. "PIKACHU, WHEN YOU LEFT HERE…WHEN YOU BID FAREWELL TO THIS PLACE ON THE RAINBOW STONESHIP, YOUR SORROW…I FELT ITS INTENSITY EVEN HERE. AND IF THAT IS HOW YOU FEEL EVEN NOW…IF Lydia WERE TO SHARE THOSE FEELINGS…I WILL GRANT YOUR WISH. THE WORLD NEEDS YOU BOTH."

Yes, Dialga decided, this was what he wanted to do. They had given up so much for a better future, and all that seemed to be in his was pain and loneliness. The two might not seem like much to most, even together, but then, things are not always as they appear. Yes, he would leave the future to them. "THAT IS WHY I TRUST YOU WITH A GIFT. I LEAVE TO YOU…THE FUTURE! THIS IS MY THANKS! PLEASE ACCEPT IT!" And Dialga let out his powerful cry, and it seemed to echo as it fulfilled its purpose, bringing back someone who should no longer exist.

On beach, a glowing orb of light formed in the very spot where Pikachu had first found Lydia lying unconscious. Suddenly, from that bright light, in the same way her body had disappeared as they left Temporal tower, the light faded, and she stood there, looking quite surprised. "Pikachu look!" Bidoof cried excitedly in disbelief. Pikachu picked himself up and turned around, only to see last thing he ever expected to see again.

He stared at her for a moment, shocked and unsure if it was really his best friend and partner was that standing before him. But when she smiled a bright, joyful smile at him, her soft brown eyes lighting up at the sight of him, he had no doubts. They ran towards each other, slamming into each other. He hugged her as tight as he possible could, as if he were afraid she might disappear again if he let go. The tears had only stopped briefly, but as he began to cry again, they were not tears of sadness, but tears of joy. She nuzzled his cheek with her own and laughed softly. "Don't cry, it's alright. I'm here now. I'm here for good this time, I promise."


	3. The Return Pt 2

**Let it be noted that I am asking for corrections to grammar and spelling, especially with pokémon names, as Word only knows Pikachu. But anyways, also feel free to leave suggestions for future chapters and I just might end up writing them.**

During their joyous reunion on the beach, Pikachu and Lydia stood embracing one another for what seemed like forever, until Bidoof spoke up somewhat hesitantly. "Um, golly you two, I hate to interrupt you, but it's getting kind of late, yup yup. Everyone might start to get worried, yup yup."

"I guess he's right." Pikachu said, wiping away the last of the tears clinging to the fur on his face. "Let's go back, everyone will be so happy to see you." He smiled happily at her, glad to just be in her company.

"Yeah, I'll be glad to see them too." She replied simply, a huge smile plastered on her face. Neither Pikachu nor Bidoof could remember ever seeing her so happy, and both of them matched her smile in full.

"By golly Lydia, it sure is good to see you again, yup yup!" Bidoof exclaimed as the trio headed off down the beach. "Thanks, it's good to see you too. It'll be good to see everyone, and everything. I still can't believe I'm back. I don't understand it, but I guess…that's okay." She said, taking in everything, all the sights she thought she'd never see again. To her, it was as if she were experiencing the world again for the first time. She silently vowed to herself that she would never take this place for granted, nor the life she'd been given. There had to be a reason why she'd come back, and she wouldn't let whoever had made it down. In her mind she said a quiet thank you, though she wasn't exactly sure who she was thanking.

When they finally reached the front of the guild, Lydia froze, staring at the entrance. Pikachu stopped, turning confusedly around to look at her. "What's wrong, why'd you stop?" He inquired curiously. Surely she'd be happy to be back and see everyone, right? But the look on her face told him a different story. The huge grin was no longer on her face, and the expression was replaced with one that thoroughly surprised him. The look of fear was clear in her eyes, though he didn't understand it at all. She had nothing to fear here, these were her friends.

When she didn't answer him, he turned to Bidoof. "Why don't you go ahead inside? We'll be there in a minute. And maybe you shouldn't mention anything about Lydia just yet…." He said, looking back at Lydia, worry clearly written on his face.

Bidoof nodded his head uncertainly. "Golly, I guess so…Just don't take too long, it's too exciting to keep a secret, yup yup." He said, and then disappeared into the guild.

"Lydia, what's the matter? Why won't you come inside?" Pikachu asked as soon as Bidoof was no longer in ear shot. "I don't…I don't know. It's just, I've been gone for a while and…how can I just walk back in like nothing's happened? All those pokémon inside are my friends, and I'm sure they've all accepted that I was gone. But now…" She stopped, unable to finish. She'd never really been one for words, he knew. It seemed that whenever something important was happening, he did most of the talking.

"Lydia, you're being silly." He said in a very matter-of-fact tone. "Everyone will be so happy to see you! They've all missed you too. They aren't going to be angry at you for suddenly coming back. Please come inside. You'll see."

She hesitated for a second and then nodded slowly. He was right, of course he was. She was being ridiculous. She had nothing to fear. Still, when the two finally entered the guild, she stepped around the outside of the grate so that her footprints would not be seen.

It seemed like an eternity to her for them to get to where everyone was seated around the large table, eating. Pikachu didn't hesitate to enter, and Lydia followed shortly after, but not before taking a deep breath to steady herself. They went unnoticed at first, except for a very relieved looking Bidoof. After Bidoof, Sunflora was the first to notice them. She stared in disbelief. "Oh my gosh, it's Lydia!" She exclaimed, and all eyes turned towards them, shock etched on every one of their faces.

The normally noisy mess hall became eerily quiet as they all stared at her. When no one spoke, Lydia was suddenly sure that her worst fears would be confirmed, that her friends would be angry with her for showing up so suddenly after being gone for so many months. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, everyone had surrounded them and to her relief it was a joyful reunion, with a 'welcome home' from almost everyone, including Chatot, though he acted like he didn't really care, and lots of hugs and pats on the back.

Her eyes misted as she smiled, looking amongst all her friends. "Everyone…" She whispered softly, touched by their reception of her return. They were all taking it rather well, she'd decided, though they demanded an explanation, which no one really had.

They all stayed in the mess hall well into the night telling stories, filling Lydia in on what had happened while she was gone, until it seemed no one could keep their eyes open any longer. Everyone slowly drifted out of the mess hall to their rooms.

Lydia smiled as she entered their room. "It's just like I left it, huh?" As she laid down in her bed, exactly as it had been the last time she'd slept there, she felt her partners eyes on her. "I'm not going anywhere this time, you do know that, don't you?" She asked without looking up at him. "I'm here to stay."

"It seems too good to be real, that's all. I just want to know that you'll still be here when I wake up." He replied, slowly laying down in the bed next to hers.

"I will be, I promise."

**I'm not sure how I actually feel about this one, but your feedback is welcome. Also suggestions would be greatly appreciated as I have already said. Until next chapter.**


End file.
